‘Scandal’ Season 4 Spoilers: Episode 1 Synopsis Released; What Will Happen In The Premiere?

Where in the world is Olivia Pope? “Scandal” fans won’t have to wait much longer to get the answer. Season 4 of the hit ABC show will premiere on Thursday, Sept. 25, and the network has already released the synopsis for the highly anticipated first episode.

The Season 4 premiere, titled “Randy, Red, Superfreak and Julia,” will pick up with a small time jump. According to the synopsis, “Scandal” will move ahead to almost two months after Olivia and Jake fled Washington, D.C., on Rowan’s private jet … and “everything has changed.”

While we’re not sure what exactly has changed for Olivia and Jake, it’s certain that the gladiators will “feel the impact of Olivia’s absence.” But what about Fitz? The president (and Olivia’s former secret lover) has another four years left in the White House, and it’ll be the first time he’s running the country without Olivia advising him. Fortunately Cyrus will remain by his side, and the two will do “everything they can to make a positive impact on the nation.”

The Season 4 premiere of “Scandal” won’t be without its dark moments. Mellie will continue to struggle to “cope with the loss of her son.”

“Scandal” fans will remember that the Season 3 finale found Rowan hospitalized after getting stabbed by Momma Pope and Fitz on the brink of losing the election to Sally Langston after the vice president was photographed helping victims of the D.C. bomb. While Fitz was initially upset about the news, he realized that he could finally have his happy ending with Olivia if he weren’t in office anymore. Olivia has wanted the same since they first began seeing each other, but Mellie’s dark secret lead her to make a selfless decision: to tell Fitz that his dad, Big Jerry, raped Mellie while he was running for governor. The truth destroyed Fitz but finally forged a bond between him and Mellie.

With his wife and children by his side, Fitz heads off to do his final campaign speech – where tragedy struck. As Fitz prepared to end his run in office, his son, Little Jerry, began sneezing and coughing up blood. Little Jerry collapsed on the floor, and at the hospital it was revealed that he passed away from bacterial meningitis.

Fitz and Mellie were devastated. However, the loss of Little Jerry led Fitz to win the election.

“They lost their child,” Olivia told Cyrus during the finale. “America will rally behind them. A child is dead and that’s the first thing that popped into my head.”

Little Jerry’s death came with a game-changing twist for “Scandal.” Secret Service Agent Tom revealed to Fitz that a rare strain of meningitis went missing at the CDC earlier in the week, and Rowan set up Momma Pope for Little Jerry’s death. Rowan had been plotting to get Olivia away from Fitz since the beginning of Season 3. Since Fitz “took his child,” he got revenge by killing Little Jerry with aid from B613.

The Season 3 finale concluded with Olivia jumping on a flight with Jake to “stand in the sun,” Rowan throwing Momma Pope back in the B613 hole, Huck facing his ex-wife for the first time, and Tom killing Harrison.

“Scandal” will return to ABC for its fourth season on Thursday, Sept. 25, at a new time -- 9 p.m. EDT. Will you be tuning in? Tweet your thoughts on the Season 4 premiere synopsis to @AmandaTVScoop and click HERE to watch the teaser video.